Diabetes – Evolution, Signs and Symptoms

Diabetes is one of the old time and long run disease. The word “diabetes” is derived from the Greek word meaning “a siphon.” The 2nd-century A.D. Greek physician, Aretus the Cappadocian, named the condition “diabetes.” Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough, or properly respond to, insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas. Insulin enables cells to absorb glucose in order to turn it into energy. In diabetes, the body either doesn’t respond properly to its own insulin, doesn’t make enough insulin, or both. This causes glucose to accumulate in the blood, often leading to various complications.

The WHO reported in 2009 that there are more than 25 million children and adults in the United States?7.8% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 17.9 million in the US alone have been diagnosed with diabetes, nearly one in four (5.7 million) diabetics are unaware that they have the disease.

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Types of diabetes
There are many types of diabetes recognized, but the principal three are:

* Type 1
It Results from the body’s failure to produce insulin. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. Presently almost all persons with type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections.

* Type 2
It Results from Insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

* Gestational diabetes
Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women.

*Other diabetes
Many other forms of diabetes mellitus are categorized separately from these. Examples include congenital diabetes due to genetic defects of insulin secretion, cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, steroid diabetes induced by high doses of glucocorticoids, and several forms of monogenic diabetes.

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Diabetes – Signs and symptoms
The detail description of the most significant symptoms of diabetes are given below -

The classical symptoms are polyuria and polydipsia which are, respectively, frequent urination and increased thirst and consequent increased fluid intake. Symptoms may develop quite rapidly (weeks or months) in type 1 diabetes, particularly in children. However, in type 2 diabetes symptoms usually develop much more slowly and may be subtle or completely absent. Type 1 diabetes may also cause a rapid yet significant weight loss (despite normal or even increased eating) and irreducible mental fatigue.

In Diabetic the osmotic pressure of the urine increases and inhibits reabsorption of water by the kidney, resulting in increased urine production and increased fluid loss. Lost blood volume will be replaced osmotically from water held in body cells and other body compartments, causing dehydration and increased thirst.

Prolonged high blood glucose causes glucose absorption, which leads to changes in the shape of the lenses of the eyes, resulting in vision changes. Blurred vision is a common complaint leading to a diabetes diagnosis; type 1 should always be suspected in cases of rapid vision change, whereas with type 2 change is generally more gradual, but should still be suspected.

Diabetes – The Problems and Solution Guide Book